Front to back, here are the significant features of the “base” Boss 302:

New aero package to reduce lift;
A completely revised 444-horsepower engine with unique head castings, different exhaust valves and exhaust-side cams, upgraded internal materials in the valvetrain and pistons, and a long-tube custom runner intake drawing on Ford’s Daytona Prototype experience;
The “Brembo package” found as an option on the 5.0 and supplied standard on the GT500 is here as well, upgraded with specific brake pads by Performance Friction and special brake lines for improved pedal feel;
Stiffer springs surrounding five-position adjustable shock absorbers, and a bigger rear swaybar;
Three-way adjustable electric power steering;
A second set of exhaust pipes exiting to the sides to reduce backpressure and terrify anybody who happens to be in the same tunnel as a Boss 302;
Nineteen-inch wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tires.

That’s a long list of revisions, and they’re all important to the Boss mission of “balanced performance.” But as we climb the sixteen-percent grade of a Monterey canyon road, it’s the monstrous engine that makes its presence most immediately known. This car is too fast for all but the most gnarled back roads, reaching effortlessly into the triple digits between corners and pulling relentlessly from three grand all the way to the 7,500 rpm soft rev limiter. No factory ponycar has ever offered this kind of pace in these conditions — only Ford’s own 2011 aluminum-block GT500 can even mount a challenge.

After just a few miles of observing this car’s ability to warp time and space, we back off the throttle and relax. As good as the brakes are, they really aren’t up to the challenge of endless ABS-cycling high-speed entries down long, steep hills. It would take Corvette-ZR1-sized platters to dissipate that kind of heat, but this is a car that costs less than a base ‘Vette. Time to back off — and we’ve made the right choice, as the local police have woken up to the fact that there are a dozen Mustangs with side-facing exhausts racing around the area. We’d better find a place where this kind of power can be safely uncorked.

Compared to the Sibling: The Ford Mustang GT
Mustang enthusiasts have had more special editions to choose from than Baskin Robbins has flavors. Every year Ford or Shelby float new and tasty variations of this quintessential ponycar. One of the best packages in the car’s 49 year history is the California Special version of the Mustang GT. This package, which carries a surcharge of $1,995, substantially changes the look of the GT by adding faux side scoops behind the doors, a pair of working black air vents atop the hood, a pedestal rear spoiler, and ever-so-subtly faded hood stripes which match equally unobtrusive “GT/CS” side stripes. This economic package also includes unique black billet upper and lower grill bars highlighted by a tri-star pony badge, special front splitter with fog lights, and unique rear diffuser and badging.

Ford continues the custom motif inside, with model specific lettered floor mats, special front seats with Miko suede inserts and logo-embossed head rests, and a distinctive silver “GT/CS” inscription on the faux carbon fiber dash board. In the Sterling Gray Metallic shade of our test vehicle, these filigrees looked distinctive without being garish. A final pedigree is provided by black enameled, silver machined “GT” inscribed alloy rims (19” x 8.5”) bearing beefy Pirelli P Zero Nero competition tires measuring 245/45ZR19. The rims and rubber did wonders for both the looks and the handling.

This test GT/CS harnessed the 5.0 liter V-8’s 412hp to a 6-speed automatic ($1,195 extra) which includes, for the first time, a SelectShift Manual Mode. To engage this feature, you must first move the floor-mounted stick fully rearward into the Manual gate, then make your up and downshifts using a rocker switch appended to the left side of the shift knob. Due to the small size and remote placement of this switch, manual selections are difficult to make. This super sporty Mustang deserves paddles on the steering column, or at the very least, a bump stick for manual shifts. Given that the standard 6-speed manual is such a pleasure to operate, you’d be well advised to save the grand plus you’ll spend for the SelectShift automatic.

Because Ford equipped this particular GT with a 3.15:1 rear axle ratio, it returned 20 MPG in mixed driving. This is excellent mileage for such a powerful V-8, but I would have gladly forsaken a couple of MPG for better low end performance, by equipping the GT with a 3.37, 3.55 or 3.73 limited slip rear end ratio. All of these are available at no extra cost, and with any of them, the improvement in acceleration is remarkable.

Even with its gearbox and rear end limitations, the GT/CS Mustang is still a total blast to drive. You can hang the rear end out like a NASCAR star, because the sticky Pirellis always save the day. The fat rimmed steering wheel’s electric power assist provides accurate information about tire placement and adhesion. Although you can deselect traction control at will, the system is so well engineered that you never need to override this safety net to enjoy maximum performance. Above all else, the Mustang GT is a driver’s car. With GT/CS enhancements, it looks enough like a Kal Kustom to make you George Barris. In reality, though, this GT costs just $40,230.

43 years ago, Ford produced a limited run of 1968 California Special Mustangs (complete with faux side scoops) that have become cult cars in the collector market. There’s absolutely every reason to believe the exact same fate awaits this excellent reincarnation.

2013 FORD MUSTANG Boss 302
Standard Engine 5.0L V8
Standard Transmission 6 Speed Manual
Cylinders 8
Horsepower @RPM 444@7400
Fuel Economy Cty/Hwy 15/26
Combined Fuel Economy 19
Engine and Transmission: 5.0 V-8/6M
skidpad 0.89 g.
1/4 mile 12.92 sec.
0-60 4.7 sec.
1/4 mile 112.47 mph.

HYPES: Stellar Cosmetics, GT Grunt
GRIPES: Clunky Door Slam, Distracting Wide View Ext. Mirrors

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

2013 Volvo S60 T5
Base Price: $32,645
As-Tested Price: $38,170
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter turbocharged I5; AWD, six-speed automatic
Output: 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 266 lb-ft @ 1,800-4,800 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,528 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 20/29/23 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 23.9 mpg

Options: S60 premier package including power glass sunroof, leather seating surfaces, auto-dimming rearview mirror, accessory prep cable, power passenger seat, keyless drive with personal car communicator ($2,200); electronically controlled all-wheel drive with instant traction ($2,000); climate package including heated front seats, interior air quality system, heated windshield washer nozzles ($700); trunk spoiler ($375); 17-inch Njord alloy wheels ($250)

2013 VOLVO S60 T6 AWD R
PRICE AS TESTED: $47,625 (base price: $38,775)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 180 cu in, 2953 cc
Power: 300 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 325 lb-ft @ 2100 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 109.3 in Length: 182.2 in
Width: 73.4 in Height: 58.4 in
Curb weight: 3885 lb
PERFORMANCE: NEW
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec

BY DAVID COLMAN

Ever since Ford sold Volvo off to the Chinese several years ago, the Swedish automaker has been having a tough go in the marketplace.  Thankfully, not as bad as Swedish compatriot Saab, which recently declared bankruptcy and closed its doors, but still concerning enough to make marque loyalists fret.  But if the latest S60 R is indicative of Volvo’s future, the company outlook is very bright indeed.  In fact, just as bright as the piercing shade of Rebel Blue that graced our scintillating test car.  If you’re in the market for a 4 place sports sedan, you’ll definitely want to consider the S60 R as a top contender, because it beats the competition from Audi and BMW in almost every department while costing considerably less.

For example, the base price of this twin turbocharged road burner is just $43,900.  Even with the addition of a $2,300 Platinum Package (Navigation, Back-Up Camera) and $700 Cold Weather Package (Heated Front Seats and Washer Nozzles), this Volvo’s out-the door price totaled $48,195.  A comparable BMW 3 Series sedan starts about the same price as the Volvo ($43,150) but by the time you’re finished toting up the laundry list of extras, the BMW costs almost ten grand more than the S60 R.  And in a straight shoot out based on performance, I’d take the Volvo every time.  The “R” branding starts under the hood, where the 3.0 liter six is mounted sideways rather than lengthwise to minimize front overhang.  This long stroke (93.2mm) small bore (82mm) motor is designed to make most of its torque low in the rpm range.  Between 2,100rpm and 4,200rpm, the big six produces 354 lb.-ft. of torque.  This wide rpm spread allows you to access instant power, no matter which gear the Geartronic 6-speed has selected.  Volvo has also upped horsepower output this year from 300 to 325hp at 5,600rpm.

Although the Geartronic system lacks paddle shifts, the console-mounted shift lever features a unique illuminated knob which highlights the range you’ve chosen.  Sport-Mode, activated by moving the lever backwards and left, allows you to select your preferred gear manually.  In practice, however, this manipulation is hardly ever necessary, due to the abundant torque of the R-specification motor.  The S60 is fitted with a unibody steel passenger safety cage, dual stage front seat airbags with anti-whiplash headrests, and side impact head protection for all 4 seats.  All that safety gear is as reassuring as the S60’s exceptional handling.  Volvo has not stinted in supplying the “R” with premium “Sleipner” alloy wheels that look like Cuisineart blades.  Continental provides top notch ContiSportContact 235/40R18) rubber at each corner, and Volvo stiffens the suspension of the “R” to take maximum advantage of the Conti’s mountain goat traction.  This sedan will corner with the best contenders from Germany without giving them an inch advantage.

Saving the best for last, the cockpit of the S60 R is a splendid exercise in Swedish modern design.  Unlike most dashboards, which look like they were cobbled together by 20 different parents, the S60 R control layout looks like one mastermind did the trick.  The fact that almost every surface is matte black makes the Op Art aluminum center stack throb with visual excitement.  It contains just 4 large, simplified knobs which control radio volume, radio tune, and thermostats for driver and passenger.  Like the silver center stack, the boldly delineated “Blue Watch Dial Instrument Cluster” is also startlingly impressive.  Bold, concentric rings of silver and ice blue convert the 8,000rpm tachometer and 160mph speedometer into Swatch-like chronometer faces that are as easy to read as they are refreshing to see.  Volvo designers also supply just enough “R” model designations (front grill, headrests, steering wheel spoke) to

this sedan, without resorting to undue braggadocio.  The all-wheel-drive S60 R is an affordable sports sedan for the owner whose ego needs no reinforcement from badging.

2013 VOLVO S60 T6 AWD R

ENGINE:  3.0 liter inline 6, DOHC, Continuous Variable Valve Timing, Twin-Scroll Turbo

HORSEPOWER:  325hp @ 5,600rpm

TORQUE:  354 lb.-ft. @ 2,100rpm-4,200rpm

FUEL CONSUMPTION:  18 MPG City/25 MPG Highway

PRICE AS TESTED:  $48,195

 

HYPES:  Sleeper Backroad Burner, Quality Fit and Finish

GRIPES:  No Paddles, Tight Back Seat

 

STAR RATING:  9.5 Stars Out Of 10

 

SPECIFICATIONS
2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Base Price $ 21,950
Price As Tested $ 25,320
Engine Type turbocharged and intercooled DOHC
16-valve inline 4-cylinder, aluminum
alloy block and head, direct fuel
injection, and continuously-variable
cam phasing
Engine Size 1.6 liters / 98 cu. in.
Horsepower 201 @ 6000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 195 @ 1750 rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual
Wheelbase / Length 104.3 in. / 167.3 in.
Curb Weight est 2900 lbs.
Pounds Per Horsepower 14.4
Fuel Capacity 13.2 gal.
Fuel Requirement 87 octane unleaded regular gasoline
Tires 215/40R18 85V Kumho Solus KH25 m+s
Brakes, front/rear vented disc / solid disc,
ABS, EBD, ESC, VSM, TCS standard
Suspension, front/rear independent MacPherson strut /
torsion beam axle
Drivetrain transverse front engine,
front wheel drive

PERFORMANCE
EPA Fuel Economy – miles per gallon
city / highway 24 / 35
0 to 60 mph 6.6 sec

For: Third door, Brilliant seating front and rear, Neat looks, Modern electronics and ergonomics
Against: Handling is not as refined as European counterparts

PERFORMANCE: Add 63 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque with the turbo and consider the regular Veloster completes the vision of this creative design. Here, a twin-scroll turbo gives most of the advantages of twin turbos on a four-cylinder engine with less weight and complexity. An intercooler keeps the intake charge denser, improving efficiency and power. A motor-driven electric waste gate allows precise boost control. Direct fuel injection allows a higher compression ratio than otherwise without ill effects — and this high specific output (125.6 bhp/liter) turbo engine makes its power on unleaded regular, not premium, gasoline. Maximum horsepower is 201, at 6000 rpm. That takes care of the top end. At the bottom, maximum torque is 195 lb-ft, at a low 1750 rpm. For best performance, though, keep revs above 3000. No lag at all then. There’s no real need to go above 6000, as there is plenty of urge in that wide sweet spot. Good shift linkage and well-chosen gear ratios add to the pleasure factor.

RIDE AND HANDLING: Perhaps surprisingly, the Turbo’s suspension is identical to that of the regular Veloster. With independent MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam axle in the rear, it’s tuned moderately firmly, for a good real-world balance of comfort and cornering power. Response is improved by a quicker steering ratio. The ride can be a bit choppy on poor surfaces. So when pushed to the limit on twisty mountain roads, this is not quite as refined or as pleasurable as the new Mini Cooper Turbo or the Volvo C30. Turn-in is not great either as the car tends to oversteer. But it does remain flat through the corners and it can get uphill quite fast.. And when it comes time to squeeze into a tight parking space or garage, the Veloster will fit with ease.

Other than that shortfall, the Veloster is an ingenious package, with a third door on the passenger side that allows 2 adults to clamber into the surprisingly roomy rear seat. Mazda developed their RX-8 along similar lines, but unlike the RX-8’s tomb-like and airless back seat, the Veloster is designed to accommodate real people. If you intend to carry passengers in the back seat, be sure to order your Veloster with the $2,000 optional “Style Package,” which includes a “Panoramic Sunroof” that extends from the windshield header all the way back to the rear seats. This giant greenhouse really opens up what would otherwise be a claustrophobic interior. In addition, back seaters get to enjoy lounge slouch seating, and an extended upper rear window that sheds even more light on their seating position.

In addition to the extended sunroof, the Style Package also includes 18 alloy wheels shod with surprisingly sticky Kumho Solus KH25 mud and snow rated tires measuring 215/40R18 front and rear. These Kumhos enhance the agile Veloster’s nimble handling. If you want to dress up the exterior appearance of the alloy wheels, you can spend another $2,000 to purchase the “Tech Package” upgrade, which adds startling body color inserts to the 5 spokes of each alloy wheel. The Tech package also includes backup warning sensors, a 7 inch Navigation screen complete with rearview camera, and keyless entry and starting. Even with all the bells and whistles the Veloster, base priced at $17,300, carried a bottom line of just $21,300.

Up front, the sports seats are superb. They fit your body’s contours so closely that you’d swear they were molded individually to your form. The door panels feature oversize grab handles that make closure a pleasure rather than a chore. The entire dash is laid out with the same kind of felicitous practicality, from the thickened grab surfaces at 10 and 2 o’clock on the steering wheel, to the large central HVAC knob that takes care of everything you need for climate control.

The Veloster represents a delightful departure from the norm in terms of appearance, design and usefulness. From the outside, its stunningly different architecture makes heads swivel, especially if you fit those alloys with body color spokes. From the inside, the sensible approach to passenger and space packaging makes you wonder why no one’s done this third door trick as successfully as Hyundai has here. If the lethargic performance of the present drivetrain is a stumbling block to purchase, be advised that a turbo motor is on the way, but still a year off. But if looking fast is more important to you than actually going fast, beat it down to your Hyundai dealer right now, because there’s already a lot to like here.

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By David Colman

Hypes: Mileage Champ, Pugnaciously Cute
Gripes: Goofy Dash, Rock Hard Tires, Whiny CVT

If Ford’s C-Max Hybrid represents the future of cars, I’ll start reviewing toasters. This expensive derivative of the $16,995 Focus costs $31,085, weighs a whopping 3,639 pounds, but makes just 141hp in petrol mode or 188hp in combined petrol/electric mode. Saddled with a noisy CVT (Constant Velocity) transmission, the C-Max whines its way laboriously to thrust. The faster you accelerate, the more noise you generate from the drivetrain. It makes you want to plop the C-Max into the slow lane on the freeway and stay there. Although it posts a combined city/highway fuel economy rating of 47 MPG, it will take you a couple of decades before you recoup the $14,000 price difference to a petrol powered baseline Focus.

Ford has reinvented the concept of the dashboard in this car. Instead of providing such essential information as water and oil temperatures, greenie marketing types have installed a plethora of video games designed to challenge your environmental commitment. There’s a “Tutorial” slate from which you can chose such hot topics as “Braking Coach,” which assesses your proficiency at maximizing energy reclaimed through regenerative braking. If you tire of that game, which appears in the left quadrant of the instrument binnacle, you can always scan the video depiction of a tree that occupies the right quadrant. The number of “Efficiency Leaves” dropped by this shrub indicate your level of energy conservation. The fewer leaves and vines you drop, the more efficient your driving. Drop enough leaves and you’ll need to revisit the Braking Coach for a repeat seminar in pedal application. To win all these video games, just park the C-Max and drive something else. Is there anything greener than an undriven car?

 

With all those video distractions available, driving C-Max is the mobile equivalent of texting on your iPhone while trying to avoid bumping into people on the street. Sure, if you focus clearly enough, you can pay attention to your driving, but it’s too easy to get caught up in the conservation strategies. Ford conscientiously renders most of the Apps inoperable while driving, but there are still enough dash delights to keep your mind occupied by everything but the road ahead.

Block off the video console, and the C-Max provides a satisfying driving experience. The electronically assisted power steering, for example, is precise enough to enable you to clip apexes with impunity. The leather wrapped steering wheel affords a solid grip thanks to two flared paddles at the 10 and 2 positions that give you better leverage when the road throws curve balls at you. The Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires (225/50R17) are surprisingly clingy given their rock-hard 480 treadwear rating. The downside of this rubber choice is the Michelins need to be inflated to 38 PSI. At that pressure, the C-Max bounces its passengers around like toys in a Piñata.

With both rear seats erect, the C-Max provides 25 cubic feet of storage space, Dropping the rear seats increases that number to 45 cubic feet. The $2,215 Equipment Group 302A transforms the interior of the C-Max into a hospitable, luxurious environment by adding a Power Liftgate, Rear View Camera, Premium Audio and Navigation. The diminutive sedan accepts 4 adults graciously, 5 in a pinch, with large enough doors to ease loading and disembarkation.

The C-Max Hybrid looks positively practical when compared to its Plug-In brother, the “C-Max Energi” model, which costs an extra $7,750 and travels just 20 miles before its EV supply dies and its petrol engine kicks in. If you are a confirmed greenie, the C-Max Hybrid makes much more sense the Energi. But if you just like to drive, this pricey Hybrid doesn’t make much sense at all.

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

• Engine: 2.0 liter inline 4, 141hp + 118hp AC Motor
• Horsepower: 188hp (Combined)
• Torque: 129 lb.-ft. + 117 lb.-ft.
• Fuel Consumption: 47 MPG City + Highway
• Price as Tested: $31,085
• Star Rating: 6 out of 10 Stars

By David Colman

Hypes: Delicious M Sport Line, Best Seats, Planted Handling
Gripes: Auto Start/Stop Perplexing

You can just about buy a brand new Kia Rio for the $11,700 worth of “Options and Additional Charges” that bump the base price of this BMW 335i from $43,150 to $57,595. Ka-Ching starts ringing with the M Sport Line ($3,200), the Cold Weather Package ($950), the Driver Assistance Package ($1,900) and the Technology Package ($3,100). What exactly do you get when you order options that add more than 20 percent to the car’s base price? A delicious looking sedan that is so packed with technology that your lease will expire before you discover all of its myriad secrets.

BMW now relies exclusively on turbocharging to produce exceptional horsepower plus excellent fuel economy. The 335i’s inline 6 cylinder, twin turbocharged engine displaces just 3.0 liters, but produces 300hp while returning 26 MPG in combined city/freeway driving. The direct injection engine benefits from stepless variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust cams to extract every last molecule of energy from the 91 octane fuel BMW recommends for this motor. When you jump on the accelerator to complete a pass or merge with freeway traffic, the 335i instantly kicks down a gear or two (it has 8 of them), then surges seamlessly ahead.

All 335 sedans feature a console-mounted “Driving Dynamics Control” which allows you to select your desired performance level from these options: Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus. In Eco Pro, the sedan feels somewhat lethargic, with relaxed steering feedback matching a slow reacting throttle. In Comfort, the sedan feels reasonably spry, but when you flip to Sport or Sport Plus, this Bimmer is really ready to boogie. In these Sport modes, the steering becomes heavier but more informative, while throttle response zings into a hyper responsive algorithm that makes you want to lace your driving shoes tighter.

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By David Colman

Hypes: Great Loading, Huge Cargo Area, Nice Finish
Gripes: Needs a V6 and 6 Speeds

Just because this SUV packs loads like a donkey doesn’t mean it has to look like a donkey. With this in mind, Honda last year revamped the uninspiring appearance of its CR-V, turning it into one of the most fetching compact SUVs in a crowded market that includes Chevy’s Equinox, Ford’s Escape, Hyundai’s Tucson, Nissan’s Rogue and Toyota’s RAV4. You can even ice the new cake by selecting the scintillating blue color of our test car – “Mountain Air Metallic.” But the CR-V’s appeal lies deeper than its shimmering paint, plunging side window line or pinched rocker panel. The real beauty of the CR-V is its utterly utilitarian configuration.

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By David Colman

Hypes: Land Cruiser Bone Structure, Off Road Diaper Kit
Gripes: Could Use More Ponies, Front Seat Backs Too Flat

If you use your X-Ray eyes to see through the voluptuous body cladding and semi-aniline leather of this Lexus LX570, you will recognize the eternally fine bone structure of Toyota’s iconic Land Cruiser. Nothing brought this point home to me more clearly than when I parked the Lexus next to a nicely restored mid-70s Land Cruiser for an eyeball comparison. I figured there would be substantial size differences between the 2013 Lexus and its 40 year old ancestor. Wrong. In every dimension, from height to width to length, the brand new Lexus is almost identically proportioned to the 70’s Land Cruiser. Even the ride height looks the same, despite the fact that the vintage Toyota rides on 15 inch rims versus the new 20 inch wheels of the LX570.

But one look inside the old Land Cruiser forever disabused me of the notion that the Toyota is too intimately related to the Lexus. In the 70s, off-roaders like the Land Cruiser were designed to be working vehicles, equipped with shiny vinyl bench seats that look like they came from the garden department at Thrifty. That kind of bare bones trim would be unthinkable in the $88,670 Lexus. Inside, you enjoy eye-popping opulence that starts with a swath of leather and real wood covering nearly every visible surface on all 8 passenger seats.

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By David Colman

Hypes: Incredible Handling Precision
Gripes: Where’s the Turbo?

It’s a lot more fun to be the driver of an FR-S than its passenger. The lucky driver enjoys the diminutive coupe’s exceptional road holding while the passenger gets a head lashing from excessive g-Forces. The driver picks precise lines through switchbacks while the passenger gets jounced like a bobblehead. If you’re not in the captain’s chair of the F-RS you might as well stay home, because this Toyota is all about the art of driving not riding.

You might think that saddling the FR-S with an automatic gearbox would detract from its ultimate appeal as a back road weapon. I know that I was crestfallen to discover — after lacing up my best driving shoes — that this FR-S had but two pedals on the floor. But I needn’t have worried, because the paddle=shifted 6-speed automatic is so responsive to driver input that you can make it sing the same high-pitched aria as its stick shift sister.

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By David Colman

Hypes: One of the Best Drivelines Period
Gripes: A-Pillar Trim Mismatch, Cheapo Passenger Seat

A lot of years have passed since Buick built a hot rod called the GNX. Since the drag racing reign of the GNX ended in the mid 80s, Buick has focused on fine tuning their product line to appeal more to Chinese buyers, who value ersatz luxury and plush ride over performance attributes. The Buick Division’s focus on comfort and polish has made it GM’s number one sales leader in China. But back home, in the USA, where drivers remain performance oriented, Buick has had little to offer until the advent of this Verano Turbo, a sizzling rendition of their smallest sedan.

Prior to introduction of the Turbo model, Verano has been an innocuous four-door without particular merit for the enthusiast driver. Based on the same platform that Chevrolet utilizes for its hot selling Cruze, the Verano recasts the clean stylistic look of the Cruze with such vestigial Buick DNA markers as a toothy chrome grill and hood-mounted triple porthole emulators. These heritage devices look rather out of place on the Verano’s otherwise streamlined shell. Inside, Buick designers have done a better job of breaking with the marque’s customary serenity by offering up a strikingly bold two-tone cabin that posits mocha panels against chocolate trim to make an eye appealing combination.

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By David Colman

Hypes: Primo Looks, Handling, Practicality
Gripes: Flat-Backed Seats, Manual Steering Wheel Adjust

It took 4 days before I realized that this Jeep was not black, but green. “Black Forest Green,” to be exact, a shade so elusive that it only reveals its verdance in direct sunlight. Unlike its paint – which has a visual sweet spot about one millimeter wide – the Grand Cherokee’s sweet spot is a mile wide. Here’s a do-everything SUV from a company that still has the guts to offer it with a spanking V8. In fact, you can optionally order not only the 360hp, 5.7 liter V-8 of our test Jeep, but also a 6.4 liter V-8 which produces 470hp in the SRT8 model. For those of you more concerned with economy than performance, Jeep’s base motor for the Grand Cherokee is a 3.6 liter V-6 good for 290hp, as well as a just-introduced 3 liter diesel which makes 240hp, 420 lb.ft. of torque, and returns 28 MPG.

Although combined city/highway fuel economy of the 5.7 liter V-8 is a modest 15 MPG, this engine, coupled to a 6-speed automatic, is a perfect match for the Cherokee’s 4,470 lb. curb weight. The V-8 option adds $2,195 to the Jeep’s $43,595 base price. But the engine upgrade also includes a bevy of valuable extras that are essential if you plan to tow: 220 amp alternator, heavy duty ABS disc brakes, heavy duty engine cooling, and trailer tow group IV, which includes hitch and wiring. Another worthy option included on our test Jeep is the electronic limited slip rear differential ($695) which overcomes traction loss in the standard Quadra-Drive II 4WD system.

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